Application Site
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APPLICATION SITE Officers Report Planning Application No: 134720 PROPOSAL: Outline planning application for up to 180no. residential units with access to be considered and not reserved for subsequent applications LOCATION: Land south of A631 Hemswell Cliff WARD: Hemswell WARD MEMBER: Cllr P Howitt-Cowan APPLICANT NAME: Mr Ronald Duguid – Hemswell Estates Ltd TARGET DECISION DATE: 24/10/2016 DEVELOPMENT TYPE: Major - Dwellings RECOMMENDED DECISION: That the decision to grant planning permission, subject to conditions, be delegated to the Chief Operating Officer, to enable the completion and signing of an agreement under section 106 of the Planning Act 1990 (as amended) pertaining to:- - Capital contribution towards primary school facilities (amounting up to £146,593) in lieu of on-site provision; - Capital contribution (£425 per dwelling) towards health care provision, in lieu of on-site provision; - On site provision of or off site provision for the delivery of affordable housing and/or enhancement of affordable housing (as defined within the NPPF) within Hemswell Cliff, equivalent to a 25% contribution of the overall amount of housing; - Measures to deliver and secure the ongoing management and maintenance of Public Open Space (equating to a minimum of 10% of the overall site); - Provision of a controlled pedestrian crossing on the A631 to serve the development. And, in the event of the s106 not being completed and signed by all parties within 6 months from the date of this Committee, then the application be reported back to the next available Committee meeting following the expiration of the 6 months. Description: This application has been referred to the planning committee as a Council Member is a Director of Hemswell Estates Ltd and is related to the applicant. Planning permission is sought, in outline, for up to 180 dwellings with access taken directly from the A631. Matters of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale are all reserved for subsequent approval. The site, measuring 7.60ha in area, comprises an agricultural field in active arable use. Mature planting and hedges run along the site boundaries, albeit with some breaks/gaps. The site is located on the south side of the A631. On the north side of the A631 are open fields (to the north-east) and residential properties (to the north-west). To the west, is a small wooded copse in private ownership, and enclosed by fencing. To the south west are detached residential properties within Hemswell Court / Lancaster Green. To the east, is a small parcel of undeveloped land, between the site and Dog Kennel Road, in private ownership. Beyond Dog Kennel Road are a row of semi-detached residential properties fronting Creampoke Crescent. Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011: The development has been assessed in the context of Schedule 2 of the Regulations and after taking account of the criteria in Schedule 3 it has been concluded that the development is not likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of its nature, size or location. Neither is the site within a sensitive area as defined in Regulation 2(1). Therefore the development is not ‘EIA development’. Relevant history: None applicable on the application site. It should be noted that outline planning permission has recently been granted for up to 40 dwellings, on land at Lancaster Green, Hemswell Court, approximately 150 metres to the west of the current application site. Planning appeal APP/N2535/W/16/3147051 was upheld following the Council’s non-determination of application 133344 within the prescribed period. Representations, in summary: Hemswell Cliff Parish Council: Wishes it to be noted that the Parish Council would prefer to see applications brought forward on the north side of the road. Have a number of questions which, if can be addressed, the application would not be objected to: (1) Safety concerns with crossing the road. Can a crossing be incorporated? Can a 40mph speed limit be introduced? (2) Will roads and street furniture be installed to an adoptable standard? (3) What studies have been undertaken to ensure sewage management has capacity? (4) Would it be possible to reduce the number of houses being built and improve the quality of the build? (5) What steps are being taken to ensure there is enough capacity at local schools? Consider that WLLP policies RES1: Housing Layout and Design, STRAT19: Infrastructure Requirements, SUS2: Transport Assessments and NBE14: Waste Water Disposal are particularly relevant. Consider that NPPF paragraphs 39 (car parking), 64 (good design), 72 (school places), 100 (flood risk), 103 (flood risk sequential test) are particularly relevant. Growth & Projects Officer (Economic Development): In principle and subject to normal planning considerations the Growth Team are supportive of this outline planning permission from an economic and regeneration perspective. Hemswell Cliff currently has 275 households with a population of 739. 65% owner occupation. There is a high proportion of rented in comparison to number of houses. It currently does not have the level of population and needs to sustain services and therefore lacks a number of them necessary for a vibrant village; there is no doctors, community centre and Hemswell Cliff lacks transport links to Gainsborough and Market Rasen. A volatile rented sector means the school has a high turnover of pupils. The Primary School had a mobility rate of 31% 15/16 year. This is a major issue. Additional population growth in quality houses would offer increased numbers and help stabilise a good primary school. An increased population together with an increase in workers on the business park will assist the village in getting additional services. Good quality housing would help bring more quality choice of accommodation and be an attractive pull to existing businesses and new businesses to the Food Enterprise Zone as an offer of live and work in close proximity. The contribution that Hemswell Cliff will give in terms of employment land development and high value job creation is reflected in the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan Proposed Submission with Hemswell Cliff being put forward as a Strategic Employment Site suitable to accommodate large scale development in the agri-food sector. Whilst the site at Hemswell Cliff was assessed in exactly the same way as all other proposed employment sites, the additional weight carried by the LDO and Food Enterprise Zone was considered too. These unique features added strong rationale to the identification of Hemswell Cliff as a proposed Strategic Employment site. The FEZ Scheme expects to generate approximately 1000 jobs over the next 15 years, representing an increase of nearly 28% on the numbers employed in the sector within West Lindsey in 2014. It will also build on the current strength of the agri-food sector in West Lindsey which represents 10% of the workforce and generates a GVA of approximately £94m. LCC Highways / Lead Local Flood Authority: Recommend refusal of the application based on the lack of drainage information supplied as part of the application. There are no infiltration tests to prove that infiltration will work and there is no alternative method of drainage being offered. If WLDC is otherwise minded to grant permission, recommend conditions to: secure a 1.8m footway adjacent to the A631 (from Dog Kennel Road to Lancaster Green); to secure a signalised crossing over the A631; roads and footways to be constructed to an adoptable standard; details of a SUDS drainage scheme. Health & Safety Executive: Do not advise against, on safety grounds, the granting of planning permission in this case. National Grid: The National Grid apparatus that has been identified as being in the vicinity of your proposed works is: High or Intermediate pressure (above 2 bar) Gas Pipelines and associated equipment. Housing Zone Programme Manager: Current policy within the West Lindsey Local Plan 1st review 2006 is that where there is a demonstrated need the council will seek to negotiate in the region of 25% affordable housing. This is always subject to the viability of the site. • Due to the evidence of need on site provision is favoured by the Council to meet identified need. • The West Lindsey SPG Off Site Contributions in lieu of Affordable Housing presents the opportunity for the applicant to provide an off- site contribution in lieu of on site provision in certain circumstances for which I believe this site would qualify • The off-site contribution in this instance based on the SPG would equate to £2,179,530.00 (45 x £48,434.00) • The emerging Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2012-2036 Submission Draft April 2016 policy LP11, allows in exceptional circumstances, on site provision on another site or the payment of a financial contribution (equivalent in value to it being delivered on-site) • Advice has been sought on the spend of off-site contributions in response to the applicants request • In response to the advice and for the purposes of agreeing Heads Of Terms to move the application forward we could agree to an off-site contribution being spent on the ‘provision or enhancement of affordable housing’ the detail of which to be agreed with the Council and the Council’s legal representative at a later stage • Affordable Housing has the meaning given to it within the NPPF 2012 or any amendment or supplemental guidance. LCC Education: This development would result in a direct impact on local Schools. In this case just the primary schools at Hemswell Cliff are projected, notwithstanding the proposed development, to be full in the future to the permanent capacity of the school. A contribution is therefore requested to mitigate against the impact of the development at local level. The PPR calculation illustrates that some 36 primary places will be required in the locality as a direct consequence of this development and there is insufficient capacity available.